Torpedo-crtrard for shies



C. J. MOSES.

TORPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS. APPHCATION FILED JAN. II, l9l8.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- 0 i? \f] o r El 1] O O I a a 0 12 O O Q Q 0 I 11 I u N &

N I N (\1 II a a R Q 2, 2

O N a g 4 11 N r {4 gnmmfoz C. J. MOSES. TORPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1|. 191a Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHET 2- affozneq Tm: coLuMnm PLANOGRAPH cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

2 TE STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

TORPEDO-GUARD FOB SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

se e St 1? 19 4 Application filed January 11, 191.8. Serial No. 211,424.

To all whom it may concern:

, ful Improvements in Torpedo-Guards for Ships, of which the following is a specification.

' The object of the. invention is to provide t comparatively simple, relatively inexpensive and eflicient means for protecting a ship or other water craft from the damaging effects of torpedoes approaching the same either from the side or rear, such means being adaptedto be arranged in operative position when required, and to be removed or folded or stored when its use is unnecessary, to avoid the inconvenience incident to those protective means which are permanently located and serve to a greater or less extent to impede the progress of the vessel.

Further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter, and while the essential features of the preferred embodiment of the invention are disclosed, it will be understood that the same may be modified as required, Within the scope of the appended claims, to adapt the same to craft designed for dif: ferent purposes and services without de-. parting from the principles involved.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a steamship with the improved guard attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed cross sectional view through the guard members and the attendant side of the ship.

Fig. 4 is a detailed plan view of a section of one of the guard members, the guide therefor being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view showmg a section of one of the guard members and the clip by which it is carried in the slide.

The apparatus involves essentially a buoyant guard member 10 which is adapted when in operative position to float on the surface of the water, partly submerged, and obviously to a depth sufiicient to constitute an effective deflector to divert a torpedo encountering the same, so as to cause such torpedo to pass either under or to the side of the vessel, said guard being maintained at such a distance from the hull of the vessel as to in re the Saf y of the l ter in the event that the torpedo should explode on impact with the guard; together with 'supporting guiding means whereby said guard proper may be moved to and from its operative position, and means whereby a substitution of guards may be effected, so that in the event of; injury to or destruction of one guard it may promptly be replaced by another designed and adapted to perform the designed function.

Obviously the floating guard member may be variously constructed to serve the purpose indicated, but in the form illustrated in the drawing, it consists of a substantially cylindrical shell of compartmental construction, the upper compartment 11 being" airtight and constituting a float, while the lower compartment 12, which is normally empty, is provided with water inlet openings 13 whereby when the device comes in contact with the water, the latterflow's into this water compartment and permits the sinking of the guard to the desired depth where it normally sustained by the air compartment. To facilitate the filling of the water compartment air exhaust tubes 14 may be employed.

These g ard a e ang d ne ei he side of the ship, either for joint or independent use, and preferably, especially in connection with vessels of any particular size, they may be made in sections as illustrated, to facilitate the movement thereof toward and from their operative positions. Also, in order to offer minimum obstacles to the progress of the vessel, they should be reduced at the forward end as indicated at 15. These guards are preferably provided with shackle rings 16, or the equivalent thereof, whereby tackle may be attached, to lift the guards when not required.

Moreover said guards, or the sections thereof, are preferably mounted to slide upon guide members 17 which are shown as being grooved at 18 to provlde means for effective engagement of clips 19 on the guard, said slots being open at their lower ends so that in the event of injury to a guard or guard section, sufficient to destroy the eiiiciency of the float element thereof, said guard or section will sink and drop from the guides, and in order to provide for this contingency, a second set of guards 20 may be arranged upon the guides n position to at once take the place of the darn aged guard or guard sectlon,

These guides may be supported at the distance from the hull of the craft, and a.

desired distance fromlthehull of the craft plurality of superposed buoyant guard as by means of bars 21 or the equivalent members having means by which they are 7 thereof, preferably having'a hinged or piv slidably carried on the guide members, each otal connection at opposite ends respectively-guard member having a chamber to which Witlitllflihllll of thevessel and said 1guides,,z;waterisaccessible for the purpose of par the .joints being of any suitable practical tially submerging the guard member, each 1 construction which may adapt them, for eX-- guard member further having a float chamample, to bewfolded within the contour of ber to limit the depth of submersion thereof, thefhujlhwhen' notin use, so as to maintain the guard members being' detachable from the general exteriorappearance of the latter. the guide members at the lower ends ofthe Afl's'o i zhes'e"supporting bars Vmay bev s uit-" latterjwhereby as a floating guard member:

ably bracedi a's shownfat 22-to resistforward is destro y'ed or loses its buoyancy] itis auand rearward strains and prevent displace tomatically released-,to have its place taken .l offthe latterg p l p As with the side guards, the rear or stern V of the "craft, especially during V progress ment of the guard relatively to the hull by the next higher guard member.

I supporting-them ata distance fromthe'hull guard which: corresponds 1n general con' v 72. A torpedo guardfor water craft com} prising guide members having means forh V of a "craft, a plurality ofibuoya'nt guard strulction with that described,v may be members formed each with a'water chamber mounted ,in ianyfsuitable manner, adapting and with an-air chamber-whereby the guard V it. to be withdrawn'from the waterand foldmember-will 'float at a specified depth of ed" or stored when not required, For .eX- submersion, and'clips carriedby each guard a mple, the guidefmembers 23 may be supmemberand ;s1idably eng agihgjadlacent ported by barsgg l, and may bemountedto guide members, the clips'being detachable have; both a rsllding and pivotal relation from the guidemembers atgthe lower'end therewith, so that the. guards maybe drawn of the latter, each pair ofguide members toward the hull and thus elevated lto re; carrying aplur'ality of guard-members -in f was of'tliis atent ay e-obta ned for move the same from the water; or thebars superposed relation, whereby the destruction maybe swung upwardly'and secured in any preferred manner; 1 I Q Whatis claimediis'z 4 V i l, At'orpedqguard for watercraft compfisingl a pluralityof guide members hav- 111g means for supportingthemselves at. a

five eents each, by addressing Washington, D. G. p

of a lowermostguardfmemberwill permit its detachment from its guide-members and V. the guard allow its place to be taken by member superposed uponit. a

. In testimony gwhereof I 'aflix my signature.

oH R Es-aMos s i the Qommissioner of Patents, 

